Novel Steels for Rails

Modern railway systems are subject to intense use, with fast trains and large axle loads. There are many criteria which determine the suitability of a steel for rail track applications. The primary requirement is structural integrity, which can be compromised by a variety of fatigue mechanisms, by a lack of resistance to brittle failure, by localised plasticity and by excessive wear. All of these depend on interactions between engineering parameters, material properties and the environment. The track material must obviously be capable of being manufactured into rails with a high standard of straightness and flatness in order to avoid surface and internal defects which may cause failure. Track installation requires that the steel should be weldable and that procedures be developed to enable its maintenance and repair. Commercial success depends also on material and life–time costs.